Cant wins women’s World Cup ’cross race in Koksijde
The Belgian finishes ahead of two Dutch riders to claim victory
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Sanne Cant (Enertherm-BKCP) rode to victory in the women’s race at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup stop in Koksijde on Saturday.
The Belgian finished ahead of Dutch riders Sabrina Stultiens and Sophie de Boer (Kalas-NNOF), who placed second and third at six seconds back in the Belgian race. Koksijde is the second stop of six on the Cyclocross World Cup.
“I’m in really good shape I think and today I think I was not the best of the three, but I had a good plan in my head,” Cant said. “And if you are in good shape, it all goes well.”
The difficult course had several sandy sections, which slowed down the racing and saw several riders either crashing or quickly dismounting to carry/push their bikes through the soft, thick stuff.
“The sand was really difficult. I was in front all the time, but it was not easy to get a gap. But the last lap I did it,” Cant said. “The sand, I really ride good in the sand, but it’s very hard, because it’s dry and there are a lot of sand sections.”
American Katie Compton had an asthma attack and suffered from allergies during the race and finished 10th.
“I just had an asthma attack and allergies,” Compton said. “I don’t know, I was just struggling with allergies even yesterday pre-riding, and just today going hard like that. And then I’m coming back from being sick, so I don’t have the fitness, and the sand, the fitness, the asthma attack, a little bit of everything, I just couldn’t go fast today.
“It was hard, it was a really hard day and just, on a sand course like this, you just can’t — there’s no hiding. You have a bad day and it’s not like you can sit on someone’s wheel and recover. So yeah, I just suffered and did the best I could and wasn’t quite fast enough.”
Dan Seaton contributed to this report.